Means for cleaning tramway-rails.



Patented Dec. l8, I900. 0. MICHAELIS; MEANS FOR CLEANING TRAMWAY RAILS.

(Applica tion filed June 18, 1900.)

(No Model.)

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

OTTO MICHAELIS, OF BERLIN, GERMANY.

MEANS FOR CLEANING TRAMWAY-RAILS.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 664,165, dat d December 18, 1900.

Application filed June 18, 1900.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, OTTO MIOHAELIS, a subject of the Emperor of Germany, and a resident of Berlin, Germany, have invented certain new and useful Improved Means for Cleaning Tramway-Rails, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

The disadvantage in connection with cars for cleaning tram way-rail grooves hitherto employed consists in the necessity for turning the cars at the end of the rai1,since they will not work if drawn backward. The mud and dirt which fill up the grooves of the rails are lifted out of the latter by means of a scraper device, which transports them to Within reach of a carrier device, which in its run carries them to the interior of the car. As above mentioned, these cars will only work-in one direction and have to be turned around when required to run in the opposite direction.

The object of the present invention is to provide a scavenger-car which willrun in both directions and at the same time work equally well.

In order to render the present specification easily intelligible, reference is had to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a vertical section through the car, and Fig. 2 a detail view of the crossed belt.

The car is provided with four wheels, and the bodyt' of the same is intended for the reception of the dirt and mud removed from the rail-grooves. An inclined chute it extends from the interior of the car, into which it open s,down to a short distance above the rails and is provided with a carrier-band having blades thereon, which is endless and adapted to run over upper and lower rolls b and b. The lower part of the chute is provided with openings from which scoops f f extend downwardly, but in opposite directions, the lower ends of the said scoops extending into the groove of the rails. At the lower end of the chute h a slide z is provided, which is adapted when the car is running backward.

seas No. 20,726. (No model.)

to close one or other of the scoop-openings. The lower roll I) of the carrier-band is driven from the axle of the car by means of a belt.

The operation of the device is as follows:

When the car is running in the direction of the arrow, Fig. 1, the scoop f will be in action and the scoopf will simply run in the rail-groove, the slide 2 closing the port behind the scoop f, so that mud will'not escape therethrough. The scoopf will take the mud out of the groove and pass it on until the carrierblades take it up and pass it into the interior of thecar. It will however be necessary for the carrier to rotate always in the same direction, whether the car is running backward or forward, and in order to attain this result the belt should be crossed, as indicated at Fig.2, In the latter case the slide .2 will also have to be reversed, so as to cover the port behind the scoop f and prevent the mud from passing out through the same.

Having thus described the nature of my invention, I claim- 1. The combination in a scavenger-car, of the inclined chute, the endless carrier running therein and adapted to run constantly in one direction, the reversely-set scoops at the base of said chute, and means for alternately opening the port behind one scoop and opening that behind the other.

2. The combination in a scavenger-car of the inclined chute,the endless carrier running therein in a constant direction, the reverselyset scoops at the base of said chute, and the slide .2 adapted to open the port behind one of said scoops and simultaneously close the port behind the other.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two witnesses.

OTTO MIOI-IAELIS. Witnesses:

HENRY HASPER,

'WOLDEMAR HAUPr. 

